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Old 06-17-2011, 12:58 AM
 
Location: CA
9 posts, read 80,977 times
Reputation: 18

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Just like Fresno, Stockton and all of the Central Valley, people seem to have no respect for this part of the state and act like if it's not in LA, SD or the bay then its terrible. I just want to know where everyone gets their ideas about Modesto, it seems like people who talk about Modesto either don't live there or have never really spent time there, because as someone who has lived here my whole life and spent three years out of state at college, i've found a new appreciation for my hometown.
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Old 06-17-2011, 10:16 AM
 
Location: Sacramento
14,044 posts, read 27,101,372 times
Reputation: 7373
11. Modesto, Calif. | America's Top 20 Most Miserable Cities | Comcast.net
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Old 06-17-2011, 11:09 AM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada Land, CA
9,455 posts, read 12,465,878 times
Reputation: 16449
I was talking with a medical recruiter last weekend. He recruits for various Modesto hospitals and other medical facilities. He lives in La Grange.

We joked about what slogans to use to draw doctors to Modesto. The best we could come up with was: Modesto, it's better than Stockton!

Seriously tho, if it weren't for the gang problems and the weather, Modesto would be an OK place to live if you like mid-sized cities.
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Old 06-17-2011, 11:56 AM
 
2,963 posts, read 6,233,706 times
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Redneck, CA
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Old 06-17-2011, 12:56 PM
 
1,379 posts, read 1,384,229 times
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Seems like a lot of horrible stuff happens in Modesto. Generally high crime rate, plus it's notorious for the Scott Peterson case.

Otherwise it's generally another Central Valley city that's in trouble, much like Stockton.
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Old 06-17-2011, 01:13 PM
 
168 posts, read 551,554 times
Reputation: 133
As a person who lived in modesto and the general area for 7 years, I think I can give some pretty good reasons on why people hate modesto:

It's school system is garbage. Modesto/Sylvan districts are terrible. I am not a big fan of test scores, but they are just in the pits. Maybe due to the influx of non-English speaking students, who knows, but my wife and i dreaded the fact we would send our kids to school there.

Downtown Modesto is quite the joke. Bussiness all closed downtown at 5 with the exception of the theaters and restaurants. The homeless problem downtown multiplied. As a former resident of the gracieda park neighborhood, never a night went by where i didn't encounter some homeless dude wondering through the neighborhood. Not really my cup of tea.

Crime. We all see the news. Crime is just terrible. Robbery here, car jacking here. When my car insurance got cut in half from relocating out of the area, that says enough. A pregnant woman got shot in the middle of intersection last week and recently died. Gang related, yes. Modesto just has a gang problem from the influx of immigrants who perpetrate the cycle of a failed education system, lack of parental guidance and motivation from their parents to do something better with the lives.

Lack of a solid job base. Most jobs are service sector jobs, that a low paying that tend to feed the "high school is enough" mentality of the mass population there. I killed myself during my dating phase to find someone with a college degree like myself in that area. How can the area better attract or retain smart and talented young folks like myself with a lack of job opportunities that pay well? That's the problem with the Valley in general, and Modesto reflects that. Personally i don't want to commute 2.5 hours each way to the bay area for a good paying job. And don't mention the Gallos. Yea, they provide good jobs, but if you can only hang your hat on the Gallos, you have a problem.

Planning and Traffic Engineering. Traffic Engineers should just be taken out to hang. McHenry has to have the worse synchronization in the history of traffic engineering (caltrans partly to blame). Sisk Road is a complete mess due to the over development of commerical and the lack of foresight into adding lanes and now being boxed in due to the location of the freeway. Other than McHenry or Claus Road there is no North/South circulation which forces people to just those two roads. Village One went to a hell in a handbag because everyone was on the take, and the plan went from a wonderful neighborhood oriented change in ways ofdevelopment in the Valley to your typical suburban dump with walls everyone, ticky tacky shopping center, and houses that just look like stucco portraits with no sense in architectural design. You can find similar cousins in Riverbank under the name "the crossroads" and others in ceres. Everything looks the same. City Staff has never been able to hold the line and demand better from developers like other nearby communities.

People. I found the in general dealing with people in the to be just downright bad. People where unfriendly. We got odd looks for doing things differently like buying organic products (with the typical, you from the bay area stare). People constantly claim the "BATS" are the problem, but quite frankly the BATS just want a better community. What's wrong with that?

I was glad to leave and will never look back. Period. The town and area just lacks leadership and vision to change, but isn't that just the general state of politics in this state and nation anyways?
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Old 06-17-2011, 08:21 PM
 
12,823 posts, read 24,274,772 times
Reputation: 11039
I would prefer Modesto over a number of other communities along Hwy 99 in the San Joaquin Valley.

However I consider Madera, Visalia and Porterville to be superior to Modesto. Oh, and if you count Lodi as being in "the San Joaquin Valley" that tops them all.
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Old 06-18-2011, 12:04 AM
 
Location: CA
9 posts, read 80,977 times
Reputation: 18
I totally agree, but I don't think the school systems in Modesto are much worse than anywhere else in the Valley or California, scores are low, but as far as the physical condition and upkeep of the schools its everywhere.

Personally, besides car break in's I've never had any problems with Crime, I am always annoyed because say how bad Modesto's crime is, when in reality it's mostly concentrated to South and West Modesto.

I angree there is a problem with mediocrity and laziness in Modesto but I don't think that reflects in the town itself but thanks for the comment.

I agree also about the blandness of new housing developments but this is something that's all over California, in ANY growing city, not just Modesto.

I disagree, I know there are mean and rude people everywhere but I don't think that is near the majority of people here.
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Old 06-18-2011, 12:05 AM
 
Location: CA
9 posts, read 80,977 times
Reputation: 18
Then does this mean you think Chicago is worse than Modesto?
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Old 06-18-2011, 12:06 AM
 
Location: CA
9 posts, read 80,977 times
Reputation: 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Majin View Post
Redneck, CA
Have you ever been to Modesto?

You might be thinking of Oakdale, lol
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